Is it Worth Going Into Insane Debt for In Vitro (or Adoption)?

Having children is a luxury a lot of women and couples experience on a daily basis.

However, for others, it’s a difficult struggle. There are many factors why couples might not be able to have the family they long for, but one of the biggest considerations is the financial aspect.

Most moms-and dads-to-be won’t have insurance that covers the majority of fertility or in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. And most people don’t easily have the means to start the adoption process. For these reasons many couples come to a crossroad — is it worth it to go into debt for in vitro or adoption?

This is a crucial decision families have to think about because the costs to do so are far from affordable. Basic IVF costs close to $12,000 but can be as much as $15,000 or more, depending on how many treatments.

And if you choose to go the adoption route, the average adoption in the U.S. costs between $27,000 – $28,000 and in countries overseas it can cost as much as $58,000.

So the question remains: is going into debt for in vitro or adoption to complete your family worth it or not?

Going Through Adoption Without Debt

Mandy Rose, who shares more about her journey on House of Rose, shares that she and her husband decided to go the adoption route because they felt this was the plan God had for them. “We prayed about it a TON and eventually took the steps to begin the adoption process. I have a heart for orphans and children in need. I feel like this child will complete our family!”

The Roses started their journey about 1.5 years ago when they decided to adopt a child from the Philippines. Now that they’ve been on the waitlist for 12-18 months, they are still optimistic about the process. In the end, the entire journey will have taken almost three years and has not been without its financial struggles.

“So far we have not had to go into debt or taken out any loans… [b]ut we knew from the second we called the adoption agency on day one that adoption would not be cheap“. The Roses immediately started an adoption savings fund.

“Trying to avoid debt while going through the adoption process isn’t easy, but so far the expenses have not been too bad”, says Mandy. They plan to incur most of the final costs once they actually receive their child. They hope by that time they’ll have enough money set aside that they won’t have to take out any loans.

Blindsided by Debt for Fertility Treatments

Although I don’t have any children of my own, I do have eight beautiful nieces and nephews. Two of which are twin brother and sister. But it wasn’t always like this. The journey to getting pregnant with the twins was quite a heartbreaking struggle for my sister and brother-in-law.

After several years of trying to have children — without success — they decided to give fertility treatments a try. As their number-crunching sister, I encouraged them to pay cash for everything as they went, at least as much as they could. Starting a family puts a strain on your bank account, without having to add debt from fertility treatments or other expenses.

Sadly, my sister saw firsthand how expensive the doctors and hospitals are for people like us who make an average income.

“Although we set out to pay cash for everything as went, we were blindsided by the hospital fees, doctor bills and lab fees. We paid cash for all the tests, for my doctor appointments, and for the pills, so we wouldn’t get into debt. However, the fertility and adoption industries know they can charge whatever they want because you can’t really put a price on having children — people will end up paying whatever it costs.”

In the end, they assumed $25,000 of debt, most of which they still owe today. But was it worth it? My sister says it was. “There’s not an amount we wouldn’t pay or go into debt to have our twins. I’d rather file for bankruptcy or live poor than live a debt free or rich life without them. Our twins have literally redefined the value of our family. And I can honestly say they are priceless, and wouldn’t trade them for millions!”

After experiencing this journey of trying to have children, my sister says she’s glad they struggled. Why? Because desperation makes you see things differently — stuff most people take for granted.

Most people just get pregnant, without realizing how precious creating a life (or two!) really is. Most people don’t have to pray for a baby or to get tests and blood work done. They don’t have to pay the outlandish bills and fees. But my sister and her husband did — and they got double the blessings! “The struggle made me realize how valuable they are,” she says.

The twins are very blessed. Every night before my sister rocks them to bed, she tells them how much she prayed and asked God for them. She tells them that she and her husband wanted them so much they literally got on their hands and knees and begged to have them.

It’s sad how this industry takes advantage of people’s desperation — especially adoption — but that’s the reality. I’ve seen a lot of my friends and peers struggle for years trying to get pregnant or adopt and still, nothing. I’m so thankful we have the twins in our family, and my sister agrees: “I’d do it all over again — even if it meant going into debt.”

Building a Support System to Avoid Debt for Adoption

Many women grow up with the dream of having children, whether that means biological or through adoption. To them, a child is still a child and they long to be mothers. In fact, some couples want to adopt even if they can have children naturally too.

This was the case for Vanessa, who shares her full adoption story on On Our Hearts: “When my husband and I first began dating, I knew that adoption would be something I would want to do one day, even if I could have biological children. Thus, I told him that if he wanted to date me, he had to be ok with that.”

They had their first daughter in 2007, almost four years after getting married, and quickly felt they wanted to have another child through adoption. So they began the adoption process. Like Mandy and her husband, the adoption process took several years for Vanessa, and the journey was full of waiting and wondering. Financially they didn’t have the money to pay for the adoption, and they tried to go through the process without incurring debt.

When you sit down and plan out how you’re going to afford to add to your family, don’t forget to enlist the help and support of people around you who love you. Thankfully, Vanessa had a very supportive family and friends who helped matched their adoption savings money. And along with adoption grants and a small loan, they were able to save up every penny towards their adoption.

Vanessa’s advice for those considering adoption: “Don’t let the fear of money hold you back from making the decision to adopt. There are so many grants out there, check with your church and your work, fundraise and ask friends and family (it’s humbling, I know). But never let money be the one thing separating you from the child God has for you.”

Your support system will also be able to encourage and build you up when you have a failed adoption or hear the word no over and over again. Whether you’re going through fertility or IVF treatments or taking the adoption route, the process will be hard — financially and emotionally.

But if you have a good support system, they can cheer you on and help you complete your ultimate goal of creating the beautiful family you’ve always wanted.

Another thing to do while going through this is to ask questions. All of these options can be both confusing and stressful. “There is so much paperwork, so many confusing terms, a huge checklist of things to do, etc. that it can be overwhelming”, says Vanessa. “Keep a line of communication open at all times with your agency and once you are matched, with your child’s agency. It will help tremendously!”

Vanessa says the whole ordeal was completely worth it, and even with all the red tape, discouragement and frustration, she realized how trusting God in every area of their lives has made them a successful family unit.

Going Into Debt for In Vitro or Adoption: Is it Worth it for You?

In the end, it’s a personal decision to take on debt to create the family you desire. Beyond the emotional aspects, there are quite a few financial decisions that need to be thought about and carefully planned out.

Even though taking on debt is considered a bad decision in other areas of life, for many of these families the risk has paid off. It’s even helped their marriages become stronger, increased their faith and added immense value to their lives in general.

For Debora L. Griffin, who expresses herself at CraftedLocally, this fact couldn’t be more true. She says, “[o]ur marriage is stronger because of children, and as humans we have had to grow and change — all for the better. We have learned to make sacrifices for the children, we have had to face our selfishness and put it aside when the good of the children was involved.”

Building the family you want isn’t always easy or without financial difficulties. It’s something that will have to be carefully planned out before jumping into. But I think Debora sums it up best: “A child is worth far more than a car or a home, and none of us think anything about getting into debt for those things.”

Where to Get Financing for Your In Vitro or Adoption

If you’re going to borrow money for in vitro or adoption, please be smart about your approach. Don’t take a credit card advance and don’t automatically use the loan services from the IVF or adoption providers.

Two better options: 1. Use a loan from a local credit union or bank. 2. Check out personal loan rates from our trusted lenders. With this option, you could get $10,000 towards your costs without paying ridiculous interest rates and fees.

What’s your take on going into debt for in vitro or adoption? Have you experienced a situation like this, or know someone who has? How did you pay for your IVF treatments or adoption?

Carrie Smith is a small business consultant and former accountant. She paid off $14,000 in debt and launched a successful freelance writing career and blog. Carrie now advises online marketers, startups, and virtual teams on how to start, grow and scale their businesses via CarrieConsiders.com. Carrie has contributed to Inc.com and Time.com and has been featured in Glamour Magazine, NerdWallet, Refinery29, Yahoo! Finance, and Redbook Magazine.

Comments

Wow, this is a great question. I was initially going to say no way to debt but then I thought of my own children and how enriching (not in a financial way 😉 ) they are to our lives . I think this decision requires a lot of prayer and is something each couple should decide on their own. I would do a ton of research and find every possible way to do it without debt if possible. There are a lot of programs out there and many times your employer will offer a benefit for adoption.

freemoneyminute It’s true that children can be expensive to have and to raise, but they do offer other enrichments to our lives. It’s a tough decision to come to, whether to go into debt or wait and it’s a personal thing for sure. Research and prayer is always a smart idea.

Invitro is even more than $15,000 in many cases (ours was closer to $18,000). My husband had childhood cancer. His radiation and chemo treatments made it impossible for us to concieve without invitro. We paid for our first cycle in cash. Our result was our beautiful daughter. People spend $25,000 on a car that might last them 10 years. People spend $250,000 on a college education. In my opinion $18,000 for a child is an unbeatable price. It sucks that some get to have children for “free”. But we are thankful for the opportunity to use the technology that allowed us to bring our daughter into this world, and wouldn’t change it for a thing. People do not understand the financial and emotional toll infertility takes on a person. Just last week I was told I was being “selfish” for not having more than one child. So many times people fail to realize how harmful such little comments can be.

IVF Mom Thanks for sharing your personal perspective and I’m so sorry to hear that someone called you selfish for only have one child. That’s a terrible thing to say to any parent. And I agree with your point about spending $18k to have a child, while other people go into debt for cars and education. So happy you were blessed with your daughter!

This was a really good article Carrie. While I can completely understand the reasoning behind wanting to go the In Vitro route, there is no guarantee and the bills can rack up quickly. Adoption is a great choice because there are so many children who would love a home of their own.

OneSmartDollar I was thinking about that the other day — if a family goes through in vitro and still doesn’t end up with a child of their own, they’ll be stuck with a lot of debt and not much but disappointment to show for it. Adopting is always a good choice since there are many children out there looking for a good home.

In vitro is made even more expensive by the fact that it often doesn’t “take” the first time; for many, this means another full round of expensive treatments. Plus it seems as if in vitro results in twins more often than is the case organically, so the costs of raising your family double at best.

This is an excellent article. I haven’t ever thought about how expensive adoption or fertility treatments would be, but after reading this I can see it’s very expensive. If it were my wife and I, I think we’d try to avoid debt at all costs, but in the end if it’s what we felt God wanted for us then I think we’d do it even if it required debt.

Carrie Smith CommonCentsWealth Fascinating blog. I’ve always been more of an – accept life as it comes – sort of person while trying to find peace, beauty and grace in whatever that means. I admire the persistence and drive of the families you’ve featured though…and Ms. Griffin makes some excellent points about what having children can teach us.

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